Caged bird
by slyfoxcub
Summary: What happened while Orihime was in captivity. Mild Ulquihime references. No sex/rape. Some blood. Discontinued, but can be read as a three-shot. Ignore author's note at the end of chapter three.
1. Chapter 1

"How does it feel?"

Orihime started, and spun around. Aizen was standing right behind her, but she hadn't heard him approach.

"Well?" He asked again, his gaze never wavering and his voice soft and calm. A voice that had been the last thing thousands of souls would ever hear.

"I am asking you how it feels to be completely at the mercy of one of the most powerful beings in existence?" he asked again.

"I have removed your Shunshun Rikka, so you have no means of attacking, or defending yourself. Your life is… in my hands."

Orihime could not speak, the words choked in her throat.

"You're afraid," Aizen said, with a slight smile. "Don't be."

He reached out his hand and touched her, his fingertips resting lightly on her throat.

She stiffened. Not out of pain, his fingers were as gentle as a summer breeze; it was in revulsion at the unexpected contact.

Tears, of fear or disgust she knew not which, welled in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks. A small whimper escaped her lips. She shut her eyes and turned her head away, ashamed to show such weakness.

'I have to be strong,' she thought wildly. 'I have to be strong like Rukia and Ichigo.'

"Now, now," Aizen chided her softly, in the sort of voice one might use when calming an overexcited child. He took her chin in his other hand and turned her head to face him. "A beautiful girl like you shouldn't cry."

But something in her eyes made his smile fade from his lips and his warm, brown eyes narrow to be cold and hard. One moment he was right in front of her, the next he was standing a few paces away, his back to her.

"Who do you belong to, Orihime Inoue?" He asked; his voice now as cold and as serious as nuclear winter.

She hesitated, caught off guard by the suddenness of his question. "I…er…'"

Suddenly, he was in front of her, backhanding her across the face.

She stumbled backwards, her ears ringing and blood trickling down her chin from a split lip. Tears poured freely down her cheeks and her body trembled.

Blinded by tears, she heard Aizen walking towards her over the cold stone floor. She shrank away from him, until her back hit a wall; still his footsteps came toward her. She hugged her own shivering body and closed her eyes.

'Please,' she thought desperately. 'Please, make it stop!' she slid down the wall and slumped to the cold floor in a pathetic huddle. Aizen stopped in front of her. Then he bent down, a smile on his face.

"I think I'll ask again," he said. "Who do you belong to?" The only answer was a muffled whimper.

"I can't hear you."

Orihime lifted her tear-stained face.

"No," she whispered defiantly.

The Aizen unleashed some of his spiritual pressure.

Orihime tipped her head back and let out a silent gasp as the air thickened and grew heavy. Each breath was like breathing molten metal as the air around her trembled and sweat trickled up her forehead. She could feel the raw power seeping through the pores in her skin and crushing her spirit.

Suddenly, Aizen withdrew his spiritual pressure, leaving her wide-eyed and gasping for air. Then one of the massive double doors swung open and a small, thin figure walked in. Aizen straightened up.

"Ah, Ulquiorra," he said, smiling genially. The 4th Espada stopped and bowed.

"What are your orders, Lord Aizen?" His voice was smooth and expressionless. The gaze of his liquid green eyes was fixed on Aizen. His master, his creator; the one he would gladly die for.

"Take Orihime Inoue back to her room and return her power," Aizen said, reaching down and pulling Orihime to her feet. "Then you will resume your duties over her until I say otherwise."

Aizen gave her a gentle push and Orihime half stumbled, half fell towards Ulquiorra, who put out his hand and caught hold of her arm to steady her. The instance his gaze faltered, Aizen was beside him. Ulquiorra's eyes widened a little, but he said nothing.

You failed me, Ulquiorra," Aizen said quietly. "I told you, to break her." His hand reached up to rest on Ulquiorra's shoulder. Ulquiorra closed his eyes and bowed his head in acknowledgment. "I understand Lord Aizen. Please punish me as you see fit."

Aizen released his grip. "Demonstrate your loyalty to me by tearing out your own eye," said Aizen, a beatific smile on his face.

Ulquiorra opened his eyes in puzzlement. That was no great punishment for him; it was a menial task, a triviality. Lord Aizen knew that, so why…?' His thoughts tailed off as realization dawned.

Almost imperceptibly, his eyes flicked towards Orihime. She had heard Aizen's command and was staring aghast at Ulquiorra in horrified disbelief. The look on her face mad Ulquiorra's missing heart ache; she didn't know about his regenerative abilities.

"Is something wrong, Ulquiorra?" Aizen asked, smiling gently. Ulquiorra's attention reverted back to Aizen. "No, Lord Aizen." With pale fingers he reached up to his face.

It was with a sickly sucking sound that he tore out the glistening orb, viscous white fluid oozing from between his fingers. Even though his eye was tightly shut to hide the gaping socket, dark blood seeped from beneath his eyelid and mingled with the white and green on his cheek.

All the colour had drained from Orihime's face. She felt the bile rise in her throat as she looked at the eye staring at her from Ulquiorra's hand.

Aizen just smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

The room was dark. The only light was the glow from the desert moon of Hueco Mundo's eternal night; which poured in from a barred window set high in the wall.

A small table and a sofa were the only items of furniture. It was sparse, yes, but then again, this cell was better than Aizen's company. On the table were a pair of small blue hair clips. Wordlessly, Ulquiorra walked over and picked them up. He turned to face Orihime, who was standing just behind him.

"Your Shunshun Rikka," he said curtly, holding them out to her. She took them with trembling fingers.

Ulquiorra turned towards the door, but stopped suddenly as his face was bathed in a golden light. His hand flew up to his ruined eye socket. Feeling a new eyeball growing, he spun around. Orihime stared straight back at him, small glimmers of golden light dancing around her face.

Ulquiorra opened his mouth to speak, to object, but no words came.

"Why?" He finally said, a tiny hitch in his otherwise mono-tonal voice.

"You were in pain," she said, shaking.

"It's nothing, it would have healed on it's own," he spat, the irritation in his voice now very clear. With a wave of his hand, he shattered the healing light, but too late; his eye had been restored to it's original state. He opened his new eye, and both blazed green slitted with an emotion he could not identify.

He turned abruptly and sonidoed out of the room, the heavy grey door closing behind him with a resounding thud.

**I'm sorry this bit was so short, but I've been working on a lot of other stuff. Will hopefully get the next bit up in a few days, it is a longer bit. I'm trying to keep the characters as true to themselves as possible. **

**P.S Aizen and Gin dialogue coming up next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow, it's been weeks seen last chapter. It wasn't intentional; computer crashed and wiped some of my files :(**

**Thanks for being so patient guys (and girls!)**

Aizen sat alone. The ceiling was several hundred stories above him and there was no light. He waved his hand and a small pillar started to rise from the floor to the side of his chair. It stopped once it reached a comfortable hand height and the lid started to slide off. A pulsing light spilled into the blackness, creating a dim, flickering aura around Aizen.

Aizen tipped his head back and smiled; his eyes closed in bliss as he felt the Hougyoku's spiritual pressure mix with his own.

"You're better at hiding your presence, Gin," he said after a few seconds.

A figure in a long-sleeved white coat detached himself from the shadows. He walked forward into the dim light surrounding Aizen. He was not an Arrancar.

"Apparently not good enough, Captain Aizen," he said, his voice soft and clipped through a wide, permanent smile.

Gin was of average height, with straight, violet tinged hair that fell over eyes that narrowed and shifted. His grin was devoid of mirth and seemed to suck what little light there was from the cold air.

"We are traitors to Soul Society, Gin," Aizen stated simply. "You no longer need to address me as Captain. I am more powerful than any in the Soul Society."

Gin's smile grew wider, if that were possible.

"Weeelll, I knew that Captain Aizen," he said slowly, cocking his head slightly to one side in mock puzzlement, drawing out his syllables as if savouring them. "It's jus' that... I don't like callin' ya _Lord_, like the others. Besides, Soul Society ain't replaced ya yet, so technically, ya still Captain of Squad 5."

Aizen said nothing. He did not even move, apart from the rise and fall of his chest and the occasional flickering of his closed eyelids. He looked as if he were asleep, but Gin knew better.

A few minutes passed, and Gin was feeling decidedly uncomfortable. He broke the silence.

"I saw what you did to the girl."

No response.

"Don'tcha think it was kind of mean?"

Aizen opened one eye the narrowest slit. "Are you questioning my judgement, Gin?" His tone was non-threatening. Conversational, really. Jovial, even. But that meant nothing when you were dealing with Aizen.

But Gin just smiled and tucked his hands into his sleeves.

"Oh, I ain't questionin' ya," he said. "It's jus' that I don't think it's healthy ta play with ya food; that's all."

Aizen just smiled.

**Okay, this is where what I wrote a while ago ends. But don't worry, there will be more. It's going to get a bit more Slice of Life (Don't worry, still keeping it serious and everyone in character as much as possible). This due to two somethings that bugged me during Orihime's time in Hueco Mundo;**

**First, she doesn't interact with any Arrancar apart from Ulquiorra, Grimmjow, Loly and Menoly.**

**And this really, ****_really_**** bugged me because it wasn't realistic. For example; Szayle apporo would want to analyze her powers, **

**(Szayle: For science!**

**Me: Shut up!)**

**Aeronierro would want to eat her; Harribel, her fracciones and Lilynette would at least want a look and/or a conversation.**

**Secondly, why doesn't she talk to her little Shunshun Rikka faeries/zanpukuto spirits? **

**Therfore, in this fanfic, she's going to some, if not all of those. **


End file.
